The 13 Most Memorable Moments in Super Bowl History

The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event held each year in the United States. With multi-million dollar commercials and an epic halftime show, it’s more than just a football game.

There have been some unforgettable moments over the past 58 Super Bowls, on and off the field, for better and for worse. Here’s our list of the 13 most memorable moments in NFL Super Bowl history.

Philly Special, Super Bowl LII

We’ll have a Philly Philly to go, please. On fourth-and-goal late in the second quarter, the Philadelphia Eagles ran a play they’d never run before. Jason Kelce threw the ball to running back Corey Clement, who threw the ball to Trey Burton, who passed it to an open quarterback Nick Foles. The touchdown helped the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33. It was Philly’s first Super Bowl victory and first football championship in 57 years, and the Philly Special lives on to this day.

The Helmet Caught, Super Bowl XLII

The New York Giants faced a third-and-5 on their own 44 with less than 90 seconds left in the championship game against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Eli Manning narrowly escaped a jersey grab and threw the ball to receiver David Tyree, who was well defended by Rodney Harrison. Tyree used his helmet to stabilize the ball and complete the catch, wrestling with Harrison for a few moments after the touchdown to confirm the catch. That catch led to a touchdown a few plays later, securing the Giants’ victory over the undefeated Patriots.

28-3, Super Bowl LI

If you want to get someone from Atlanta to react, just tell them the number 28-3. That was the score the Falcons had against the Patriots with 17 minutes left in regulation. The Dirty Birds had never won an NFL championship and the city was ready to cash in on their bets. But they say you should never underestimate the GOAT. Something started to happen for Tom Brady in the fourth quarter, throwing touchdown pass after touchdown pass. Plus, a Falcons fumble with less than 6 minutes left didn’t help their cause. The Patriots eventually tied the game, 28-28, and secured the victory on the first possession of overtime. It was the biggest comeback and the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

Whitney Houston National Anthem, Super Bowl XXV

Ten days into the Gulf War, singer Whitney Houston knew the pressure was on for the national anthem, and she didn’t disappoint. With the support of the Florida Orchestra, over 750 million people worldwide heard Whitney Houston sing what some call the greatest national anthem of all time. It was the first time the Super Bowl was broadcast to other countries around the world. Whitney Houston later described the atmosphere as intense, wanting to send a message of hope and unity to the troops fighting for our country.

Dyson tackled by 1 yard, Super Bowl XXXIV

Often referred to as “The Tackle,” this is the play that made Mike Jones a hero in St. Louis. On the final play of the game, the Tennessee Titans tried to use tight end Frank Wycheck as a decoy to distract Jones and make room for Kevin Dyson, which worked at first. But once Jones saw Dyson open and catching the ball, he changed direction and wrapped around Dyson’s legs, pulling him 1 yard from the end zone. Dyson tried to crawl and pass the ball over the line, but the officials called him down and stopped the game.

Saints’ Surprise Kickoff, Super Bowl XLIV

After being treated to a 35-minute halftime show by The Who, Saints coach Sean Payton came up with something no one would have seen coming: start the second half with a kickoff. The play, known as the “Ambush,” The game’s purpose was to leave fate in the hands (or feet) of punter/kickoff ace Thomas Morstead, who had been told the plan heading into the second half. He later said he wasn’t just scared, he was downright terrified. But he remained calm enough to deliver a kick that bounced a few yards off the Colts receiver’s mask and into a Saints player who caught it before being run over. It took ten minutes to break the pile and finally declare the ball Saints. Considered the turning point of the game, the Saints ended up winning, 31-17.

Who Turned Out the Lights? Super Bowl XLVII

Whether it was the longest kickoff return in Super Bowl history or the thrilling 34-31 final score, what people remember most about the 2013 Super Bowl is the 34 minutes of darkness during which the power went out. Minutes after the second half kicked off, the lights went out in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the initial broadcast was cut short. Rumors of terrorism or arson quickly spread as to the cause of the outage. However, reports later showed that some detection equipment encountered a system anomaly.

Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception, Super Bowl XLIX

Malcolm Butler, who had just finished his career as an undrafted rookie out of West Alabama, read Russell Wilson like a book. On what turned out to be the final play of the game, the Seattle Seahawks were down 2nd and goal on the 1-yard line and trailing the Patriots by 4 points. Seahawks fans expected the ball to land in the hands of Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, who had been critical to their offensive success all season. Instead, a pick play was called to target Ricardo Lockette, who Malcolm Butler not only read but also timed his jump perfectly to make the interception. Butler immediately fell and secured New England’s fourth championship.

Tracy Porter, pick 6, Super Bowl XLIV

If Peyton Manning is reading this, keep scrolling. Every cornerback dreams of making a pick-6. But what about a pick-6 to win the Super Bowl? That dream came true for the Saints’ Tracy Porter. With 3:24 left, Manning threw to a receiver on his left, which Porter easily anticipated. He broke free and raced 74 yards into the end zone, securing a 31-17 victory for New Orleans.

Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson at Super Bowl XXXVIII

It was fun for the families watching together. The scandal known as “nipplegate” started innocently enough with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson putting on a great halftime show, getting the stadium crowd and the 150 million viewers watching from home dancing and singing along. Everything seemed to be going well until the very end, when Timberlake tried to “undo” part of Jackson’s top to reveal a lace bra, but accidentally (or on purpose, depending on who you ask) ripped off part of her costume and revealed her right breast to the world. The broadcast immediately cuts to a wide shot, but not before the damage was done. Some say it was a publicity stunt, others say it was a complete accident. MTV (which produced the halftime show) and CBS apologized for the incident, saying they had no prior knowledge of what was going to happen.

Blunder Bowl, Super Bowl V

Memorable doesn’t always mean good. In 1971, the fifth Super Bowl in history was played between the Baltimore Colts and the Dallas Cowboys and ended in a thrilling 16-13 score. The game was marred by many mistakes, from blocked extra points to turnovers and truly horrific officiating errors. To this day, it’s the only Super Bowl where the MVP award went to a player from the losing team: Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley for his two interceptions.

Terrell Davis, Super Bowl XXXII winning goal

It would have taken more than a headache to stop Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII. With over 157 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Davis clinched the title for the Broncos with his game-winning touchdown in the final 1:45 of the game. This year, he remains the last running back to be named Super Bowl MVP. While that is an impressive statistic, what makes this moment memorable is that the Packers let Davis into the end zone. They thought it would be smart to get the ball back as soon as possible. Packers coach Mike Holmgren was the one who came up with the idea, later admitting that he thought it was a first-and-goal, not a second-and-goal.

Devin Hester’s touchdown kicks off Super Bowl XLI

There’s no better way to start a game than returning the opening kick for a 92-yard touchdown. Devin Hester became the first player in Super Bowl history to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, helping give the Bears an early 7-0 lead. The Colts would eventually come back to win 29-17, but Chicago fans remember it as one of their franchise’s best moments. Indianapolis originally planned not to punt to Hester, but didn’t want to “play with fear” and wanted to make a good impression by hitting Hester. How did that go for you, coach?